This invention relates generally to the field of data processing and in particular to methods and systems for data searching and analysis.
Data is increasingly available in computerized form. Recently, this trend has increased with the emergence of smart phones, social networks, and computer controlled machines that capture varied types of data. For example, smart phones enable the capture of multiple types of data such as the location of an individual via the GPS capability contained in many smartphones. Social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn enable the capture of relationships between people. Computer controlled machines such as home appliances or industrial machines enable the capture of various types of data pertaining to the machine's usage. For example, a computer-controlled thermostat can capture temperature variations in a home or office building and with communications capability such as via a wireless network, and such information can be transmitted to a computerized database. In addition to the foregoing, the development of various types of inexpensive sensors that are capable of capturing varied types of physical phenomena adds to the availability of data available in computerized form. For example, motion sensors can detect movement in a particular location, temperature sensors can detect highly localized temperature, pressure sensors can detect localized air pressure, optical sensors can detect the intensity of light, accelerometers can detect acceleration of specific devices or parts of the body, etc.
The availability of increasingly large and diverse computerized data has led to the development of various techniques for analyzing the data to gain useful knowledge. Yet, despite the varied work in data analysis there remains a need for improvements in the methods and systems employed to understand relationships between various data elements.